Trapped In Sports

Menu
Facebook Twitter Youtube

Author name: Sports-admin

Football

Injury amidst financial crisis : The latest on the woes surrounding Frenkie de Jong at Barcelona

/

Injury amidst financial crisis : The latest on the woes surrounding Frenkie de Jong at Barcelona Frenkie de Jong has been at his dream club for over half a decade now, but something or the other keeps him from reaching up to his fullest potential. The now 27-year-old has had a disappointing year, with the Catalan giants going trophyless last season and him suffering from an injury since April which made him miss the prestigious Euros tournament as well. The Dutchman suffered an ankle injury with the recovery period set to be around a month. A month which has turned into four months and there are still no signs of when he might return to the pitch. This is not the first occurring of a case like this at Catalonia, as several other players like Pedri, Araujo, and Ansu Fati have joined back way after their initial recovery dates. Fans and media have started to be curious about this peculiar case, as neither the Barca management nor the medical staff have any answer as to when De Jong might fully recover. The Blaugrana have now started to feel doubts about the player internally, and have regrets of not putting him on the transfer list earlier with huge bids coming from Premier League clubs, mainly Erik ten Hag who desperately wanted the midfielder at Manchester two years ago, but De Jong never gave the approval to leave. The controversy regarding Frenkie de Jong’s salary The Barcelona midfielder is currently the highest paid player in LaLiga, and to many people’s surprise, ahead of stars like Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Jr., and Robert Lewandowski. But only a few know the real reason as to why this is the case. The Dutchman had immensely cut his wages among other players to support the club during the pandemic, which led to him earn less than half of what he used to in the 20/21 season. As per the contractual obligations set by previous Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu, this caused him receiving his due wages in later seasons, adding up to his current wages. The 27-year-old will now earn €721,154 per week (not including bonuses) with a gross base salary of €37,500,000 in the 24/25 season (via Capology). With his longstanding injury and him boasting the highest salary in La Liga, Barcelona have dug themselves in a hole and are now facing the repercussions in these troubled financial times. The future of Frenkie de Jong continues to be the main talk in town, but for now everything remains unclear.  Also Read: “He brings a lot of versatility” : Mikel Arteta pleased with latest Arsenal signing

Tennis

“I got into people’s business many times on the court”: Andy Roddick addresses on-court issues at Paris Olympics

/

“I got into people’s business many times on the court”: Andy Roddick addresses on-court issues at Paris Olympics Throughout Andy Roddick’s professional career, he was at some point or the other involved in certain disputes. Whether it was verbal confrontations with umpires over disputed calls, the intense rivalry with Roger Federer, many heated exchanges with David Ferrer and Tomas Berdych or the infamous criticism on Novak Djokovic in the 2008 US Open, it is safe to say that Roddick acted on his emotions more than any other player. Frustration and acting on fiery temperament are often part of the game. During the recent Paris 2024 Olympics, WTA players Qinwen Zheng, Emma Navarro, Iga Swiatek, and Danielle Collins got into heated exchanges with each other which caused controversy around the world of tennis. Strong remarks were made from each, and words like ‘insincere’, ‘no respect’, ‘cut-throat approach’, among others were used by these athletes in press conferences later on to show their dissent. Andy Roddick, who has been a part of the tennis industry for over two decades, was the perfect person to address this issue, as he has  first-hand experience over this matter and was able to relate to it easily. He mentioned that these on-court dramas happen from time to time as players act on emotions during the heat of play. Once they get off-court, hardly no-one bothers about what happened and some even embrace each other at times. The American also stated that it is basically a part of the game. “I’ll tell you this, I got into people’s business many times on the court and I would say that 95 percent of those didn’t have a history past that day or night. We’re gonna yell at each other, gonna be annoyed at things. Danielle got into it with Iga. I’d be shocked if three weeks from now they’re not fine,” said the 41-year-old (via podcast ‘Served with Andy Roddick). “I still get smoked by his fans for something that happened 16 years ago” : Andy Roddick opens up about his controversy During the 2008 US Open, the Serbian was dealing with a list of medical issues, from a sore throat to a hip injury. This led to Novak Djokovic taking medical timeouts during matches which caused frustration among players including the American. Andy Roddick jokingly passed on comments about Djokovic in pre-match press conferences which caused tension among them. Novak Djokovic was never the most liked player, and he beat the American in the Quarter Final, he got showered with boos. This led to even more controversy post-match as the Serb thought that Roddick fed the media and fans lies that he had faked his injuries. This dispute naturally made media headlines and rumours of them getting physical in the locker room were at a high, but in reality, the tension between the players quickly dissipated after the match. The former player has expressed his regret over this matter many times but revealed that the Serbian’s fans still ‘smoke’ him over it. “We mentioned Novak. I still get smoked by his fans for something that happened 16 years ago that we talked about that night and let go,” said Andy Roddick. Andy Roddick gave this incident as an example of how easily tensions can rise in high-pressure tournaments like the Grand Slams and the Olympics. Also Read: “He is the man to beat at the US Open” : Former coach says Novak Djokovic will not stop after Olympic gold

Carlos Sainz
Formula 1

“I honestly don’t think so” : Carlos Sainz if Lewis Hamilton is better than him

/

“I honestly don’t think so” : Carlos Sainz if Lewis Hamilton is better than him Carlos Sainz has been one of the most consistent performers in F1 during recent years, with multiple podium finishes during his time with McLaren and now with the Scuderia Ferrari. He has also given a competitive fight to his teammate Charles Leclerc. But this year, history repeated itself for the Spainard, as he was picked ahead of his Monégasque teammate for getting replaced with none other than Lewis Hamilton, just like Max Verstappen was promoted above Sainz during their time in Torro Rosso (now AlphaTauri). The Spainard will now be the lead man for Williams racing in 2025, as he is set to have a fresh start to his almost 10-year career, to which the fans believe is a downgrade. But during his recent interview with GQ Spain, Sainz was asked about if the Briton is currently better than him, to which he had a confident reply. “I honestly don’t think so, obviously not. Just like if you ask the other 18 drivers this question, they will answer the same thing. I think I am the best option for any Formula 1 team because if I didn’t have this mentality, I wouldn’t be a Formula 1 driver and I wouldn’t have the competitive spirit that I have. And the other drivers will answer the same thing,” said the 29-year-old Carlos Sainz admits to understand Ferrari’s decision While the Spaniard may obviously be disheartened to get replaced, he does admit that getting the Briton onboard is the best decision the Italian team has made in recent times. Apart from his on-track performances, Lewis Hamilton can triple Ferrari’s revenue aspect due to his ridiculous sponsorships and the stature he has built for himself over the years. Carlos Sainz understands this, and also believes getting replaced by the ‘best driver in the history of the sport’ is not the worst thing in the world. “I obviously understand Ferrari’s decision, the opportunity to sign a seven-time F1 world champion and what that can entail and attract a team. That’s why, when I’ve looked at it in a reflective way, it hasn’t hurt me so much. Because in the end it’s not that any other driver is replacing you, but you’re replacing the best driver in the history of this sport, or one of the best drivers in the history of this sport. And in the end, if I have to be replaced by one, let it be that one,” said Sainz, with humility and respect towards Ferrari and the Briton. The Spainard is yet to be a world champion, but has remained a constant threat to his rivals and has secured 21 podium finishes with 5 pole positions and 3 victories. He has also made ‘peace’ with the fact that he never really had the right car to become a top world championship challenger. When asked about his time with Ferrari, Sainz provided an emotional response. “Above all, it was the people I worked with. In the end, that’s what you’ll remember: your friends and the people you work with. And obviously the successes, which are those three victories. The fact I got the first [F1] victory of my life, having achieved it with Ferrari on a circuit like Silverstone, the victory in Singapore and above all the one in Australia, which was a great moment after the operation. The successes and the people, that’s what I’ll remember.” the Spainard concluded. While it may be discouraging and unfair for fans to see one of the best drivers in this era drop in the midfield next season, Mr. ‘Smooth Operator’ still has 10 races left in his Ferrari gear. The soon to be 30-year-old will be looking to end his tenure with the Reds in the finest way possible, as he can push to the limits with nothing to lose. Also Read: “It’s going to be one hell of a second half of the season” : Lewis Hamilton has high hopes for the remainder of the year

Featured

2020 vs 2024 Summer Olympics medal tally : A look at the biggest winners and losers in Paris

/

2020 vs 2024 Summer Olympics medal tally : A look at the biggest winners and losers in Paris The 2024 Paris Summer Olympics, which was held from 26 July to 11 August, have just ended. 329 events were held in 32 different sports, as this was one of the most watched Summer Olympics in history. New stars were born, while familiar faces were seen everywhere.  Compared to the previous Summer Olympics held in Tokyo three years ago due to the pandemic, Paris symbolized a return to normalcy, as it brought out full crowds and a festive atmosphere as opposed to empty stadiums and health protocols in 2021. One thing which did not have much of an effect though, were the performance of the countries, as similar winners were seen in both 2021 and 2024. Here is a comparison of the medal tally of the top 10 countries in both the Summer Olympics. 2024 Summer Olympics Medal Tally Order NOCs Gold            Silver Bronze 1. USA 40 44 42 2. China 40 27 24 3. Japan 20 12 13 4. Australia 18 19 16 5. France 16 26 22 6. Netherlands 15 7 12 7. Great Britain 14 22 29 8. Republic of Korea 13 9 10 9. Italy 12 13 15 10. Germany 12 13 8 2020 Summer Olympics Medal Tally Order NOCs Gold            Silver Bronze 1. USA 39 41 33 2. China 38 32 19 3. Japan 27 14 17 4. Great Britain 22 20 22 5. ROC 20 28 23 6. Australia 17 7 22 7. Netherlands 10 12 14 8. France 10 12 11 9. Germany 10 11 16 10. Italy 10 10 20 Biggest winners at Paris Olympics 2024 The United States of America were once again the winners of the Summer Olympics as they accumulated a total of 126 medals including 40 gold medals, outdoing their performance in Tokyo. The USA have now finished at the top of the medal tally seven times out of the last ten Summer Olympics. China closely followed at second place with 91 medals but tied with the USA in gold medals. China has been the most consistent nation at the Olympics after the USA, as they have not been ranked outside the top 3 since Sydney 2000. Other notable winners included Japan with 45 medals which included 20 golds, Australia with 53 medals and 18 golds and the host nation France with 64 medals including 16 golds. These nations also featured in the top 10 in Tokyo as well.​ Biggest losers at Paris Olympics 2024 Great Britain fell out of the top 5 countries this year and got only 14 gold medals, compared to their 22 in Tokyo. Though they are still in the top ranks and continue to perform well in cycling, rowing and athletics, the British have gradually been having less dominant showing as compared to their previous Olympics. Although Germany got 12 gold medals, more than what they managed in Tokyo, they have been below par their usual historical performances during previous Olympics. A similar case could be said for Italy. Conclusion As far as medal tally goes, not much has changed. The USA and China continue to stay dominant at the Summer Olympics due to their expertise in sports such as basketball, gymnastics, table tennis, swimming, weightlifting, etc. While European nations have followed through and stayed firmly in the top 10. But a breath of fresh air was felt in Paris as the Summer Olympics returned to its full glory with celebrations and new records being broken. Also Read: Horrible scenes as France and Argentina football quarterfinals ends in a heavy altercation as hosts go through

Rohit Sharma
Cricket

ICC Champions Trophy 2025: Will Team India travel to Pakistan?

/

ICC Champions Trophy 2025: Will Team India travel to Pakistan? After winning the T20 World Cup trophy in June, team India secured its first ICC title after 11 long years of facing heartbreaks. Now, the focus once again leads to the 50 over format, as Team India led by Rohit Sharma will try to go two-for-two in ICC events by winning the Champions Trophy. The ICC Champions Trophy will be held for the first time since 2017, where India lost the final to Pakistan in a fairly one-sided contest. The tournament is set to be held in Pakistan from February to March 2025 in Pakistan, and to no one’s surprise, tensions galore as to whether or not India will travel to Pakistan. The Indian cricket team has not stepped foot in Pakistan since the Asia Cup back in 2008, and 17 years later there is still no answer to if they ever will. There has always been tension historically among the two nations due to complex political relations which has often affected bilateral cricketing ties. This can be seen as India and Pakistan last played a bilateral series in 2012-13, where India were the hosts for two T20Is and three ODIs. Verdict : Indian cricket team will not travel to Pakistan for the ICC Champions Trophy The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) plays a huge part in making decisions and has requested the International Cricket Council (ICC) to hold the competition in a hybrid model and move India’s matches to Sri Lanka or Dubai. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) gave BCCI the option of hosting all of India’s matches in Lahore, in order to ease concerns, but the BCCI were showed no interest in this proposal. Additionally, the Vice President of the BCCI Rajiv Shukla addressed this situation in May, saying that they will abide by whatever the Government of India approves of. “In the case of the Champions Trophy, we will do whatever the Government of India tells us to do. We send our team only when the Government of India permits us.” said Shukla (via ANI). Safe to say, this matter will eventually be talked about until the start of the tournament. Although there has been no official verdict from the ICC about this matter, it is pretty much assumed that India will not be travelling to Pakistan in 2025, and very much possibly beyond that. Also Read: Shashank Singh’s makes big revelation following Amit Mishra’s “Fame and Power” Dig at Virat Kohli

Pep Guardiola
Football

“I thought he actually might be interested in this job” : Gary Lineker on Pep Guardiola becoming new England head coach

/

“I thought he actually might be interested in this job” : Gary Lineker on Pep Guardiola becoming new England head coach The tale of Pep Guardiola coaching a national team has been dreamt of by many fans and pundits alike, but his recent link of becoming the next England head coach has everyone wondering if the stars will finally align and the Spaniard will finally accept the job next summer. Although the Spaniard has denied all rumors of coaching the Three Lions, as he is determined to keep working at Manchester City, the key details around him have suggested that next summer might be the perfect time. The FA has recently appointed Lee Carsley as an interim coach, which implies that they might be waiting for the Spaniard’s contract to end at City, which is next year. Most recently, former England striker and widely recognized football pundit Gary Lineker, addressed this situation and believes that Pep Guardiola is seemingly ‘interested’ in taking this job, even after his press conference which suggested otherwise. “I did see an interview a few days ago with Pep Guardiola where he was asked in a press conference if he would be interested in England. And you know, mostly people put that away, but he certainly didn’t. And it made me think the way he was talking; I thought he actually might be interested in this job. And the fact that they’ve appointed Carsley as an interim coach and the fact Pep’s contract ends at the end of the season… however, I’m maybe having a little bit of wishful thinking here,” said the 63-year-old (via podcast ‘The Rest Is Football’). Pep Guardiola and England remains a stalemate (for now) To no one’s surprise, Pep Guardiola is the FA’s top choice for England head coach, and rumour has it that the Spaniard has received an offer that would be hard to refuse. To say that Pep Guardiola is ‘media trained’ would be an understatement, as throughout his coaching career and countless press conferences, he has always provided the media with diplomatic answers and never gives out anything which they do not already know. In a recent interview, the Spainard was yet again asked about the Three Lions job, to which he once more gave a rigid reply. “I have to decide what I want to do in my life. If I want to continue here, take a break, train national teams or not – many things,” said the Catalan manager. It would be a fair assumption to think that a lot of work goes out behind the scenes that the fans and even the media do not know about. As more time passes by, the feeling that Pep Guardiola will coach England becomes imminent. It also helps the fact that the 53-year-old has achieved every accolade there is in club football, and winning an international trophy with England of all nations will unanimously earn him the title of the greatest manager of all time – if there are any lingering doubts about that. Also Read: “He brings a lot of versatility” : Mikel Arteta pleased with latest Arsenal signing

Lewis Hamilton
Formula 1

“It’s going to be one hell of a second half of the season” : Lewis Hamilton has high hopes for the remainder of the year

/

“It’s going to be one hell of a second half of the season” : Lewis Hamilton has high hopes for the remainder of the year The 2024 F1 season has been one for the ages, due to its highly competitive nature till now, as seven different drivers have already won a Grand Prix. The top four teams – Red Bull, McLaren, Ferrari and Mercedes in the constructor’s standings have been battling it out, and with 10 scheduled races left for the season, nothing can be ruled out just yet. Max Verstappen has continued his dominance from past seasons as Red Bull has maintained a strong lead going into the second half. Meanwhile, Lando Norris is leading the charge as a standout performer for McLaren and the duo of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz are not far off their tails.   F1 veteran Lewis Hamilton himself is excited for the rest of the season and is impressed by the competition he has been facing, but seeing that it is his last stint at Mercedes, the Briton would like to leave on a high note. “It’s really fantastic, I think, for the sport, to be having such close teams and drivers, the pedigree of drivers at the top today are really elite and amazing,” said Lewis Hamilton (via Formula 1). “It would be high hopes” : Lewis Hamilton on having a late title charge Mercedes have gradually improved throughout the course of the season, but the Briton did not expect to compete with the top challengers. He believes that the hopes for a title charge are a little too late now, although if they can keep up with their recent form they can certainly aim for a better finish. “We didn’t expect to be competing with the McLarens or the Red Bulls at this point in the season, you know, with how we started off, so for us to now have closed up and be… It’s going to be one hell of a second half of the season, for sure.” said the Briton. “I mean, if we can continue this kind of performance as we’ve had the last few races, which has been fantastic… I think if we can start our weekends off a little bit better, hopefully we can continue. I think, obviously, the McLaren was very strong [in Belgium], we were just a bit further ahead early on [in the race], but yeah, we’ve just got to keep pushing,” the 39-year-old added. Lewis Hamilton’s teammate George Russell believes that the late resurgence of Mercedes will lead them to perform better in the next season. The promising young talent has often been considered as a future World Championship contender, with his growing experience an important asset for Mercedes to extract from going into the 2025 season. Russell will definitely be the main man for the AMG Petronas once Hamilton leaves for Ferrari. “I think for all of us, it’s been a difficult couple of years getting the car into a place where we can consistently fight for victories, but I’m so motivated, so excited for the second half of the season, which is ultimately building up towards 2025, when you look at the competition now, you know, there’s no reason why we can’t fight, and if the season started in Montreal, the championship standings would be looking very, very different,” said the 26-year-old. “It’s going to be great. I think there’s so much motivation from all the other teams to get back to the front, from McLaren, from Ferrari, from ourselves, so for sure, it’s not going to be easy, and hopefully we see a good fight on our hands into next year,” Russell concluded. F1 fans are surely in for a ride for the second half of the season, as all roads lead to a competitive and exciting finish. Also Read: “It is not impossible” : Lewis Hamilton on Lando Norris challenging Max Verstappen for the F1 title

Mikel Arteta Arsenal
Football

“He brings a lot of versatility” : Mikel Arteta pleased with latest Arsenal signing

/

“He brings a lot of versatility” : Mikel Arteta pleased with latest Arsenal signing The Gunners have ended their pre-season camp with a satisfactory 2-0 win over French club Olympique Lyon. Head coach Mikel Arteta declared their pre-season tour successful as he feels all players have been tested and warmed up before the start of the 24/25 Premier League season. The fans and coaching staff were specifically excited to witness the debut of Arsenal’s newest member, Riccardo Calafiori. The 22-year-old Italian defender has had quite the year for himself, as he has quickly risen up to the ranks to secure this big move. Riccardo Calafiori helped Serie A side Bologna secure a Champions League berth for the first time since the 1960s. He was also Italy’s best player in the UEFA Euros 2024, and gained massive recognition and fan following which led to the Gunners splashing £42m on him this summer. Mikel Arteta says Calafiori felt the ‘love’ of the fans  The former Bologna defender was cheered and welcomed as soon as he stepped foot on the pitch, a gesture that made Mikel Arteta grateful for the fans. He addressed it post-match to give thanks to the people’s unwavering support. “I just love it when the fans react like that to one of your own, the way you feel it straight away, its love, you are respected, they are right behind you. And that’s an unbelievable platform for someone to join our club. That’s the platform for many players to join our club.” said Arteta. The Italian made an impressive debut at left-back and switched to the centre later on, all while not putting a foot wrong. The Spainard was mighty impressed by the defender, as he praised him to the media and set huge expectations across his shoulders. “He brings a lot of versatility because he can play in two or three different positions and especially in attack, he can occupy different spaces because he’s a real defender. When you see his presence, his physicality, how he goes to the duels, he’s unbelievable. Obviously, he’s done a lot last year and I think he’s a player that can improve us.” said the 42-year-old (via GOAL). “We are managing them, it’s a lot of new things for him. It’s a big step up, but he’s so willing as you could see, for the 20 minutes that he played, he’s so energetic, so passionate, a really intelligent player. He’s going to give us a lot.” the Arsenal manager added. Although Arsenal has one of the strongest sides in the league with players stacked in each position, they are not done yet in the transfer market, as Arteta wants to add another Spainard, Mikel Merino in the mix. Their Premier League season starts on August 17, taking on the Wolves, where Riccardo Calafiori is expected to get some minutes, or even be a starter.

Blog

“Ending the year as No.1 is one of my main goals right now” : Carlos Alcaraz sets clear year-end goal

/

“Ending the year as No.1 is one of my main goals right now” : Carlos Alcaraz sets clear year-end goal Carlos Alcaraz has been in red hot form throughout the year, having already accomplished another grand slam title (Wimbledon) and most recently an Olympics silver medal at Paris. After taking a short break from this ‘loss’, the Spaniard has his eyes set on the ATP rankings. The world No.3 will be participating in the Cincinnati Open, the same tournament where he suffered a loss in the final to rival Novak Djokovic last year. The Spaniard went down fighting in a three set thriller which became an instant classic. The current world No.1 Jannik Sinner has doubts regarding participation in this tournament, as the Italian has not yet fully recovered from his injury. While the world No.2 is on a high after winning the Olympics gold medal and has ruled himself out of the competition in order to get some well-deserved rest. This feels like the perfect opportunity for Alcaraz, who is only 450 points behind the top ranking. “Obviously being No. 1 is a goal every time that I am [behind] and the race is an important ranking for me, at the end of the year, if you end the race No. 1, in the rankings [it is] quite similar, so you’re going to end the No.1. So I’m really focused on that. I’m focused on going to every tournament, thinking about playing great tennis, doing a good result just to get better in the race. This year, ending the year as No. 1 is one of my main goals right now. So I’m looking forward to doing it and let’s see,” said the 21-year-old (via Eurosport). Carlos Alcaraz aims to win matches while playing ‘great tennis’ The Spaniard has won 20 out of the 22 matches he has played since the French Open, with his only losses coming against Jack Draper in Queen’s and the most recent Olympics final against the Serbian. But only winning is not enough for the youngster, as the standard which he has set for himself aims that he needs to win while also playing quality tennis, although he is glad to have overcome tough situations during matches even while not living up to his golden standard. “I’ve been playing great tennis, but probably most of the matches I won, I won them without playing great tennis, or I felt like I didn’t play really great tennis, so the way that I approach every match, I stay there strong mentally in some situations, I’m really, really happy about that. [I’m happy] about the way that I [handled] some situations, that I stayed there, even knowing that I didn’t play, or I wasn’t playing great tennis. But [I played] with a positive attitude, with the right face always, and trying to find solutions in some moments that I could do it. I’m really happy about it,” the Spainard added. Carlos Alcaraz will be looking to perform consistently for the rest of the year in order to achieve the world No.1 ranking, and the Cincinnati Open would be the perfect way to start as the Spainard has good memories of the tournament from last year. “I’m excited to play here again. I’m really happy to be back. Obviously great memories from last year, reaching the final, losing a really tight and epic match. This is a tournament that I love playing and yeah, excited to start the tournament.” Alcaraz concluded. Carlos Alcaraz’s opening match in the Cincinnati Open will be against either Gael Monfils or Alexei Popyrin, as he will be hoping for a deep run in order to gain more points and increase confidence ahead of the US Open on August 26. Also Read: “He is the man to beat at the US Open” : Former coach says Novak Djokovic will not stop after Olympic gold

Formula 1

“It is not impossible” : Lewis Hamilton on Lando Norris and McLaren’s chances for top spot

/

“It is not impossible” : Lewis Hamilton on Lando Norris challenging Max Verstappen for the F1 title Lewis Hamilton has been in the F1 scene for about 17 years, long enough to know and thing or two about it. The seven-time champion in his veteran years has become a prominent figure both inside and outside the circuit, with his thoughts and opinions given priority over others. Lewis Hamilton’s experience is multifaceted, with his influence increased tenfold over the years. Off-track, he is an advocate for diversity and has multiple ventures which focus on sustainability and wellness. The Briton is also an inspiration and a role model for young drivers due to his success coming from a modest background and also uses his platform to encourage young drivers to stay on the right path. But perhaps the biggest influence Hamilton has had over the course of his career is his constant mentorship and support towards young F1 drivers, most notably fellow teammate George Russell, son of former rival Michael Schumacher, Mick Schumacher, and most recently his praises for McLaren’s Lando Norris. Lewis Hamilton has faith in Lando Norris despite being 78 points behind Red Bull In a recent interview with PlanetF1, the Briton was asked about his former team McLaren’s chances against the heavyweights Red Bull. Although the seven-time champion was not exactly optimistic, he related to it as he was in the same position before, and did not rule out the chances of the underdogs. “I think there was a time I was here where I was 40 or something points behind – 70 is a big number when you’re against a car that has probably very, very close to a 100 percent record. It may have dropped down slightly in one of the races when Max’s engine stopped in Australia. But, otherwise, they’re a very, very highly-performing team. So I mean, it is not impossible, but it is a huge, challenging task, but absolutely not impossible,” said the 39-year-old. “They’ve got two very strong drivers that are able to compete against, ultimately currently in the championship, one car that’s really up there doing a lot of the points scoring on the other side. So they’ve got something they can work with there, for sure,” the veteran added. Lewis Hamilton has not made any surprising statement, as beating the duo of Max Verstappen and RBR will be no ordinary feat. The Dutch has been the ultimate frontrunner since 2021, and there seems to be no answers for his dominance, although Charles Leclerc, George Russell and Norris himself, are coming closer. Lando Norris’s career trajectory is certainly on an upwards path, as the F1’s biggest talent has brought back a resurgence at McLaren. Sir Lewis Hamilton’s words will definitely be on the 24-year-old’s mind, and encourage him and McLaren to keep pushing for the top spot.

Scroll to Top